Website Credibility Rating: www.cdc.govTo evaluate a website's credibility and support as a source credible to include in scientific work, the student has chosen to evaluate www.CDC.gov. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is a component of the Department of Health and Human Services that conducts critical scientific research and provides important health information that protects the nation from dangerous health threats. This website was chosen by the student because of their personal and professional interest in health information provided by the CDC. A Google search was conducted to locate the website domain CDC.gov, which yielded the web address http://www.cdc.gov/. Website credibility is assessed using specific criteria and supported by empirical evidence. Using examples, the importance of evaluating information available on the Internet for a professional nurse is discussed. Website Analysis The student chose to evaluate the credibility of the content on CDC.gov. The literature identifies five criteria that users should use in their assessments of the credibility of information available on the Internet: accuracy, authority, objectivity, timeliness, and coverage (Metzger, 2010). For the purposes of this assignment, the approach to providing analysis of this web source will be to use these five criteria: authority, information, objectivity, ease of navigation, and privacy and security policies. Authority is who the author is and whether their contact information, credentials, qualifications, and affiliations are provided (Metzger, 2010). The CDC was founded in 1946, which means many years of experience as a well-known organization. Information on the leadership of the organization is available. All members and ...... middle of paper ...... a professional. Considered a credible source of information, CDC.gov is an excellent resource for anyone seeking health information. References CDC Director. (May 17, 2013). Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/about/leadership/director.htmlCDC Web Privacy Policy Notice. (March 19, 2014). Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/other/privacy.htmlJohnson, T. (2011). SPIDER A website evaluation strategy. Library Media Connection, 29(6), 58-59. Retrieved from http://web.b.ebscohost.com.proxy.devry.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=a1fe208a-6fb8-4e68-8191-7ef041e2d483%40sessionmgr111&vid=25&hid=113Metzger, M.J. (2010). Making sense of credibility on the Web: Models for online information evaluation and recommendations for future research. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 58(13), 2078-2091. doi:10.1002/asi.20672